The purpose of this paper is to present a careful examination of the relations of power shown in the movie “Lorenzo’s Oil”, using as a basis for argument the work of Pierre Bourdieu (1993) concerning the scientific field, with emphasis on the struggle for the monopoly of scientific competence. The movie analyzed herein is based on a true and ongoing story. The motivation for the choice of this theme strems from the recent acknowledgement, by the scientific community, of the efficacy of the medicine known as “Lorenzo’s Oil”, developed from research by August and Michaela Odone, Lorenzo’s parents and protagonists of the story. The observational study was conducted as a kind of indirect observation with no participation by the researcher. As the paper unfolds, it attempts to place briefly in context the scientific method and the origin of both quantitative and qualitative approaches, identifying, based on the movie, the power relations that are inherent in the scientific field. It is possible to conclude that the speech of scientific authority can be questioned and that the rupture of the monopoly of the scientific ability may help to increase the amount of knowledge without necessarily modifying the relations of power.

The purpose of this paper is to present a careful examination of the relations of power shown in the movie “Lorenzo’s Oil”, using as a basis for argument the work of Pierre Bourdieu (1993) concerning the scientific field, with emphasis on the struggle for the monopoly of scientific competence. The movie analyzed herein is based on a true and ongoing story. The motivation for the choice of this theme strems from the recent acknowledgement, by the scientific community, of the efficacy of the medicine known as “Lorenzo’s Oil”, developed from research by August and Michaela Odone, Lorenzo’s parents and protagonists of the story. The observational study was conducted as a kind of indirect observation with no participation by the researcher. As the paper unfolds, it attempts to place briefly in context the scientific method and the origin of both quantitative and qualitative approaches, identifying, based on the movie, the power relations that are inherent in the scientific field. It is possible to conclude that the speech of scientific authority can be questioned and that the rupture of the monopoly of the scientific ability may help to increase the amount of knowledge without necessarily modifying the relations of power.